Government: Page 126
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Calls to revamp physician self-referral law grow louder
Device makers, lab, imaging and hospital companies all back changes to the Stark law, arguing it impedes the move toward alternative payment and value-based care.
By Susan Kelly • July 18, 2018 -
Sponsored by Southern Cross University
The impact of mental health in the workplace
With rates of reported mental health issues on the rise, are there enough initiatives in place to tackle the problem?
July 17, 2018 -
Anthem sued by doc groups over ED policy
American College of Emergency Physicians President Paul Kivela called the policy dangerous in expecting patients to know the difference between minor or potentially life-threatening conditions.
By Les Masterson • July 17, 2018 -
AHA 340B lawsuit denied by federal appeals court
The hospital industry lost its legal challenge to the Trump administration's cuts to the 340B drug pricing program, with a three-judge panel ruling AHA failed to meet certain necessary "presentment" requirements.
By Tony Abraham • July 17, 2018 -
HHS kills clinical guidelines website, cites budget cuts
The National Guideline Clearinghouse, a 20-year-old archive of best medical practices, was shut down this week. On Tuesday, the nonprofit that maintained the site said it will keep a fee-based version to launch in the fall.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • July 17, 2018 -
FDA approves first drug designed to treat smallpox
Siga Technologies developed TPOXX under a federal defense contract amid fears of bioterrorism post 9/11.
By Barbara Boughton • July 17, 2018 -
Major payers unlikely to see financial hit from risk-adjustment halt, Fitch says
But the decision to halt the payments is likely to destabilize the individual market, according to the ratings agency.
By Les Masterson • July 16, 2018 -
Docs shouldn't be held accountable for healthcare costs, NEJM survey finds
Industry experts say out-of-pocket costs are important to patients but there are multiple barriers to properly educating them about healthcare pricing.
By Les Masterson • July 16, 2018 -
HHS OIG cites flawed efforts to prevent fraud in Medicaid managed care
A new report found that not all managed care organizations use proactive data analysis or inform states when providers are suspected of abuse.
By Les Masterson • July 13, 2018 -
CMS pitches expanded telemed billing, fewer MIPS measures
A proposed payment rule includes streamlining coding and setting new payments for virtual check-ins and examinations of patient-submitted images. More unpopular is a requirement to meet 2015 EHR standards by next year.
By Tony Abraham • July 12, 2018 -
Many docs support MIPS concepts, but a big chunk unaware
Nearly two-thirds of physicians surveyed reported little or no knowledge of the CMS Merit-based Incentive Payment System.
By Meg Bryant • July 12, 2018 -
ACA plan member costs increasing, networks narrowing, study says
Avalere, which conducted the report for the Physicians for Fair Coverage, said restricted networks are resulting in more out-of-network care and surprise billing.
By Les Masterson • July 12, 2018 -
EHRs combined with nurse-led support improved medication compliance
A JAMA study showed the potential and limitations of nurse educators and EHRs.
By Les Masterson • July 11, 2018 -
CMS cuts ACA navigator funding down to $10M
This is not the first funding cut for navigators, who received $62.5 million in 2016. CMS Administrator Seema Verma said the "need for federally funded Navigators has diminished."
By Tony Abraham • July 11, 2018 -
CMS will let providers withdraw retroactively from BPCI-A
The agency is not, however, delaying the program's Oct. 1 start date.
By Les Masterson • July 11, 2018 -
MA star ratings would change if socioeconomic status taken into account, study finds
The report in Health Affairs evaluated how scoring changes connected to blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol control could improve plan ratings.
By Les Masterson • July 11, 2018 -
Gottlieb: FDA seeking 'right balance' in regulating opioid prescriptions
"The roots of this crisis are embedded in the practice of medicine, and prescribing practices that were at times too cavalier," Gottlieb said.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • July 10, 2018 -
Low-quality healthcare persists in high-income countries, report finds
The study found that 10% of patients in high-income countries are harmed during medical treatment and 15% of hospital expenditures in those countries come from mistakes or hospital-acquired infections.
By Les Masterson • July 10, 2018 -
CMS defends hospital star-rating program, plans only minor changes
An agency spokesperson told Healthcare Dive it will get expert feedback on methodology over the summer.
By Les Masterson • July 10, 2018 -
EHR error rates vary widely across systems, JAMIA study finds
A confluence of challenges among the hospitals' Epic and Cerner systems likely contributed to high error rates.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • July 9, 2018 -
Azar says 'change is coming' for 340B
The HHS secretary emphasized at an industry conference the "need to disrupt the entire system of rebates" as well as the administration's intentions to reduce the gap between drug discounts and reimbursements.
By Tony Abraham • July 9, 2018 -
Trump administration suspends ACA risk-adjusted payments
The freeze impacts $10.4 billion for 2017. Without the program to stabilize the marketplace, premiums are expected to rise.
By Tony Abraham • July 9, 2018 -
States looking to courts in fight against ACA
Twenty states are arguing the ACA's mandate that most people have health insurance is unconstitutional because the penalty for noncompliance will be zeroed out starting next year.
By Les Masterson • July 9, 2018 -
Physician burnout less common at small, independent practices
A study by the NYU School of Medicine found that only 13.5% of New York City physicians in small, independent primary care practices reported feeling worn out or wearied by their work.
By Les Masterson • July 9, 2018 -
Mercy joins forces with Johnson & Johnson for medical device safety
The FDA is pressing medical device companies to include more real-world data in technology assessments.
By Meg Bryant • July 6, 2018
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